Walk in challenges.

[shihansmurf]

There is a cool story about Ed Parker and the "Menu of Death" that many of the kenpo guys hereabout can relate much better than I can.

In my younger days I would likely have taken the irresponsible route and accepted the challenge. Not so much nowadays. I don't mistake myself for a wild west gunfighter so I don't have a desire to fight anyone looking to test themselves against a martial artist. Now going to a throwdown, smoker, or organized fighting event, that's a different story and I would gladly accept any such invitation

Mark

 

[JustAVisitor]

There has been suspicious visitors where i used to train: loners and groups. If i was leading the class and i felt there would potentially be a problem, i would change the course program instantly and switch to the exercises best executed by the class students: strength wise and synchronization wise. They would move around like a very disciplined block. The effect of strength and discipline would sink in the visitors' mind. If there would be a newbies, I would go to them as to protect them first. If not then I would move from one student to the next correcting techniques and showing off. At one point, a welcoming student would very politely welcome the visitors. If no one would be assigned to that task that day, then i would welcome the visitors myself, after i would have made them wait long enough that they know their urges are not ours.

 

[JustAVisitor]

A friend of mine once accepted a visitor's challenge but he put one condition... To test the guy first. Just to make sure that he was strong enough... He explained to the guy that, because of the laws, he could not hurt him too much, so he had to make sure the fight was fair. My friend asked the guy to assume the horse stance position. Then he asked the guy to simply hit each other's forearms 12 times. If the guy could stand 12 hits per arm, then they would fight. The instant the guy touched my friend forearms, his face turned limp. After 3, he stood up and left calling my friend a psycho... It was hilarious!

 

[YoungMan]

Here's an approach nobody's mentioned.
If someone wants a challenge, tell them "I have full medical insurance. Do you? Because if we fight, you're going to get seriously hurt. And I doubt you have the $10,000 that you would need to cover injuries that I would claim were inflicted in self defense."

 

[Brian S]

Chuck Lidell's trainer(Hackleman) said that an instructor challenged him to fight Chuck. He whooped Chuck's butt and then Chuck wanted him to be his trainer. The rest is history.

TallAdam,

Those things probably wouldn't happen much if you were older.

 

[hogstooth]

When I was 12 years old another instructor of a simular art came to our dojo and challenged my Sensei. This suprized us all because we couldn't dream of anyone wanting to fight him. It turned out that most of the challengers students were in our class and he was having a difficult time staying open. Sensei said that he would accept his challenge but had a better idea in mind. He told him that the reason he was loosing his students wasn't because he wasn't a good fighter but because he wasn't a good communicator. He told him that he had talked to his students when they joined and asked why they were leaving. The common concensus was that they didn't feel like they were getting anywhere or learning anything. He offered him the opportunity to learn from him and to join the dojo. The challenger was visibly upset and walked out of the dojo. Two days later he returned and started teaching the beginners class with Sensei over seeing.
Boring I know but I thought it was cool and I learned a lot from that encounter. There is always another way.

 

[YoungMan]

I would never allow someone who challenged me to teach under me. In the back of their mind they must be thinking "someday I'll be able to beat you." I just couldn't trust them.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I lived through the area when challenges where made much to often. My instructor was guilty of walking into schools and challenging other instructors if he thought they where not legit. As a student I along with my class mates fought in more than one challenge match at our school.

I will say that some shady schools closed much earlier than the owners thought the would in those days and that you had darn well better be able to produce your lineage and back up any claims you made.

Those days are now over because of lawyers wanting to sue everyone for everything.

There are times I miss those days especially when I see people who are frauds teaching and claiming all sorts of false titles and ranks

 

[FearlessFreep]

My instructor...challenging other instructors if he thought they where not legit.

I think that's actually a far different scenario then some wacko off the street wanting to prove themselves. AFAIK, that used to be [seen as] a legitimate way of dealing with frauds and such...